It is widely known that crowded places (such as hospitals, healthcare facilities, food processing plants, hotels, dormitories, and public transportation) bear the potential risk of transferring diseases. Hence such places require use of products which are less prone to microbe and pathogen proliferation. As microbes evolve to be more pathogenic and drug resistant, the need to keep the bio-burden levels under control has increased, and more effective avenues of control need to be developed.
On many hospital items and equipment the presence of microorganisms in the hospital environment can lead to healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Even with all present-day cleaning and disinfection solutions, in the United States 4.5% of hospitalized patients develop HAI, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths annually and adding 35.7 to 45 billion dollars to healthcare costs. Bacteria and other microorganisms can evade routine cleaning which cannot provide long term protection against microorganisms. What is needed is a fast-acting, continuous (not episodic) supplement to conventional cleaning. It should also be inexpensive without compromising on efficacy, as healthcare institutions have very tight budgets.
It has previously been shown that certain individual metal oxides, when exposed to moisture, will release ions to the environment in which the metal oxide is exposed. It is also known that these ions have antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties (Borkow and Gabbay, FASEB J. 2004 November; 18(14):1728-30), as well as anti-mite qualities (Mumchuoglu, Gabbay, Borkow, International Journal of Pest Management, Vol. 54, No. 3, July-September 2008, 235-240).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,221 discloses an article of clothing having antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-yeast properties, comprising at least a panel of a metalized textile, said textile including fibers selected from the group consisting of natural fibers, synthetic cellulosic fibers, regenerated protein fibers, acrylic fibers, polyolefin fibers, polyurethane fibers, vinyl fibers, and blends thereof, and having a plating including an antibacterial, antifungal and anti-yeast effective amount of at least one oxidant cationic species of copper wherein the plating is bonded directly to the fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,424 discloses a method for combating and preventing nosocomial infections, comprising providing to health care facilities textile fabrics incorporating fibers coated with an oxidant, cationic form of copper, for use in patient contact and care, wherein the textile fabric is effective for the inactivation of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,402 encompasses antimicrobial and antiviral polymeric materials, comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, and polypropylene, and a single antimicrobial and antiviral component consisting essentially of microscopic water insoluble particles of copper oxide incorporated in the polymer, wherein a portion of said particles in said polymer are exposed and protruding from the surface of the material, and wherein said particles release Cu2+ when exposed to water or water vapor.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0193496 discloses polymeric master batch for preparing an antimicrobial and antifungal and antiviral polymeric material comprising a slurry of thermoplastic resin, an antimicrobial and antifungal and antiviral agent consisting essentially of water insoluble particles of ionic copper oxide, a polymeric wax and an agent for occupying the charge of said ionic copper oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,756 discloses a method for imparting antiviral properties to a hydrophilic polymeric material comprising preparing a hydrophilic polymeric slurry, dispersing an ionic copper powder mixture containing cuprous oxide and cupric oxide in said slurry and then extruding or molding said slurry to form a hydrophilic polymeric material, wherein water-insoluble particles that release both Cu++ and Cu+ are directly and completely encapsulated within said hydrophilic polymeric material.
Similar findings on antimicrobial activity of metal oxides have also been published in connection to tetrasilver tetroxide as a mixed oxidation state compound as cited in various publications and patents by Antelman.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,531 to Antelman discloses pharmaceutical compositions that include a therapeutically effective amount of at least one electron active compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof, that has at least two polyvalent cations, at least one of which has a first valence state and at least one of which has a second, different valence state. Preferred compounds include Bi(III,V) oxide, Co(II,III) oxide, Cu(I,III) oxide, Fe(II,III) oxide, Mn(II,III) oxide, and Pr(III,IV) oxide, and optionally Ag(I,III) oxide. Further provided are methods of halting, diminishing, or inhibiting the growth of at least one of a bacterium, a fungus; a parasitic microbe, and a virus, comprising administering to a human subject a therapeutically effective amount of the at least one electron active compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,420 to Antelman is related to fibrous textile articles possessing enhanced antimicrobial properties prepared by the deposition or interstitial precipitation of tetrasilver tetroxide (Ag4O4) crystals within the interstices of fibers, yarns and/or fabrics forming such articles.
There is an unmet need for a cost-effective material having improved antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which can be beneficially used in combating or inhibiting microbe activity and preventing or treating infections.